NIC Bank, Junior Achievement (JA) and Craft Silicon Foundation have come together to unveil an innovation award category in the annual secondary schools, Students Entrepreneurship Competitions. This competition will be worth Ksh.3.4 million.
Dubbed the High School Innovation Challenge, is set to begin in May this year and will encourage students who are members of JA clubs in over 300 high schools in the country to develop transformational innovative solutions that will affect positive change in the financial sector to benefit individuals and communities across the nation.
“As an innovative Bank we are constantly working with various partners to come up with solutions to reach out to all our customers, including the youth. We believe the youth are a key segment in our society and we need to ensure that they are well equipped with the right tools to empower them in all aspects of their lives, including finances,” said NIC Bank Group MD John Gachora.
Junior Achievement Kenya Executive Director John Wali, noted the initiative was an opportunity for the participating youth to play a role in shaping their future and that of their peers by coming up with innovative ways to educate on something noble as personal finance.
This partnership is looking to harness raw talent and spur innovation. As experts in the various fields the three partners have the opportunity to plant the seed of innovation and reap rewards in the future.
Craft Silicon Foundation CEO Priya Budhabhati said: “As a technology company and Foundation we are cognizant of the fact that ICT has become the differentiating factor locally and global in terms of social economic development and we have taken the bold initiative of extend ending the opportunity to not only the student in formal education, but also the youths in the informal settlements who might not afford post-secondary education.”
The three partners will later launch a university Boot Camp where top students, totalling 200, form 14 campuses will participate in a tech challenge to find solutions in the sector using technology.